Monday, February 22, 2010

struggle

18x24 oil on linen
I made some changes to my entry, or may I say "rant." You're right Adam... best to be quiet.
Instead I will use the thesaurus to find a new word for struggle. So here it is struggle: assay, attempt, bend over backwards, break one's back, break one's neck, cope, dig, endeavor, exert oneself, give it one's best shot, give the old college try, go all out, grind, hassle, have one's nose to grindstone, hustle, make every effort, offer, plug, plug away, scratch, seek, slave, strain, strive, sweat, tackle, take a crack, take a stab, take on, toil, try, try one's hardest, undertake, work like a dog

I like "work like a dog"...Sam, do dogs work hard?

9 comments:

Double "D" said...

hi b,
i like them both, although i like the under painting best. i think you were nearly there with the under painting. of course this is only my left handed opinion, but here goes. i like the distant land masses in the finished version. just a touch of light reflection as it goes around the corner. now, looking at the underpainting and squinting i can visualize those subtle additions. in the underpainting the large land mass is nearly complete. just a touch of the blue and a defining line between land and water. i think it was dark enough in the underpainting. leave the reflection alone. that would have been enough for me. i know, all that is easy to say now with the under painting to look at.

when you struggle between pastel and oil what is it that causes you to struggle? have you ever tried painting an oil stroke for stroke from the pastel?

maybe it's time for loriann the painter to close the books on famous artists and painters and just paint what you feel, you're the boss painter...remember?

quick question, did whistler copy other artists or did he develop his own style?

ok my finger is tired and i've said enough for one day. think about it...then you can tape my mouth shut.
pb.

loriann signori said...

Ouch PB. Good questions..but still ouch.
Let's see. In pastel I am confident I have the basic knowledge to work without needing to analyze how. In oil I am fumbling to find a way to create what I want. I (long ago) painted completely alla prima. This is not the way to make the feel I get in pastel, the depth and quality. I think it is a mix with glazing, transparencies and thicker, more stroke like painting, similar to what I do in pastel. The thing is I don't know how (yet) to manipulate that in oil. The learning curve is rough so I search out any and all help. I really don't feel that I am copying other artists but reading to learn, processing and then practicing, then owning my version.
You make a good point when you say I am the boss and maybe I do need to just turn everything else off. Maybe I will take your advice... soon. There a couple more things I need to learn than maybe I will hole up and process.
I have tried to work from a pastel and create it stroke for stroke,but I can't get the luminousity,too much paint.. lacking transparencies.
Thank you for your honest, thought probing answer.

b

PS how is your shoulder doing today? sleeping? that was an awful lot of pecking, either it's moving a little better or you did too much;-)

SamArtDog said...

Do dogs work hard? Oh Dog, no! They believe in "simple". It's OUR problem that nothing is. A simple dog motto is: "don't work harder; work smarter". They probably stole that, but it doesn't matter. To them, appropriating whatever is simpler and smarter is simpler and smarter. Period.

I frequently do the following things wrong, so I knows em when I sees em: A) you're trying too hard, B) you're trying too hard, and C) that's right; you're trying too hard. Case in point: "I have tried to work from a pastel and create it stroke for stroke". Trying to make an oil painting out of a pastel sounds like silk purses and sows' ears. Maybe your oils should be allowed to be something entirely different.

You know of two brilliant artists who had to paint left-handed. The dogs think you might want to try thinking in that out-of-the-catbox sort of way. They suggest that you should "be here now". They stole that, too, but as only a dog could say, "If the foo shits, wear it."

Doug is right; you are the boss. Whistler isn't there painting for you (good thing; you couldn't afford him). Anyway, you have an arsenal loaded with all that amazing Loriann-brand of talent, plus everything she's crammed between her ears lately. In other words, you are loaded for bear. So take the dogs hunting and see what y'all find!

Adam Cope said...

Loriann

nice painting :-) i feel it's going to be a good one.

re-struggle - who ever said it was easy?

i also suspect that blogging can aggivate the sense of difficulties in that finding words, explanations, commentaries ... at the wron momnet of the creative process.;... when maybe one should just be quiet or even have the painting out of sight & out of mind...

you might also be interested in Keat's notion of 'negative capcity' ie the importance of NOT knowing....

loriann signori said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Double "D" said...

first, let me apologize to you loriann. poor chioce of words on my part. i can make no excuses for my words because i have none other than mary proof reading my dumb words before they are sent so i can start over.

i'm so sorry b, my intent was never meant to hurt you in any way. you're a wonderful painter that i admire.
i'll stop there.
dd

loriann signori said...

PB, No apology necessary. I am grateful to you for your response. I count on you to give honest, thoughtful advice. And you did. Thank you. You are wonderful.. Now stop writing and rest your shoulder! b

SamArtDog said...

you know it was dog love.

loriann signori said...

Thank you for your advice Sam and Adam! I think I will go hunting as Sam advised. More later.